1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector for use in connecting between wooden materials, laminated wood or stone materials, or connecting between a wooden material or laminated wood and a stone material or concrete, and a method for connecting in a building structure in a joint or a coupler structure of a building structure such as a wooden house and a framework structure in a large-sized wooden building with large size structure.
2. Background of the Related Art
In recent years, there have been developed to provide a connector for connection between a beam and a pole plate, a pole beam and a column, and a lateral beam and an independent column (long column) aiming at labor saving and rationalization in building construction work for a dwelling and the like or a joint structure or a coupler structure and the like aiming at a rationalization of construction work.
For example, (1) Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. Sho 63-162008 discloses a framework fitting used in a wooden framework construction method, (2) Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. Hei 2-93401 discloses a reinforcing fitting for a joint part between a lower end of the column and a foundation of a framework wooden building, (3) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 3-295946 discloses a crown dowel fitting and a lathing structure of a framework wooden building using the fitting, and (4) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 2-300442 discloses a joint structure of wooden construction member in which the wooden framework may not be disassembled after connection. In these related art, the fittings, bolts, and nuts are used for connecting the structural members. As the joint structure, the joint structure in a wooden framework structure aiming at improving a structural strength at the joint structure is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. Sho 63-14939, 63-14940 and 63-14941, respectively.
However, the above-mentioned related art connector or joint structure had a problem that a large number of parts such as bolts, nuts or washers were used during the work, their fixing work was complicated and the process was lack of workability. In addition, the prior art had a problem that the fitting was large size, heavy in weight, lacked in transporting characteristic and further lacked in safety characteristic at a high elevated location.
In addition, the prior art had some problems that an erroneous fitting for the fitting and the like occurred to require a certain trouble, it was hard to bury the fitting to a predetermined location in the cylinder or the plug member punched at the predetermined location and make a threadable fitting of bolts to the punched holes in the aforesaid buried cylinder or plug, resulting in that its workability was poor, it required a large number of steps of work and it required a long work period.
The assembly in which the wooden members were fixed with nuts had some problems that their fastening force was lost in several years due to a shrinkage of the wood, looseness could easily occur and their physical strength was reduced. Additionally, there were some problems that metallic portions such as bolts, nuts or fittings were oxidized by dew and the like, their durability was lost and at the same time the imported wood contained salt due to storage on the sea, the bolts or fittings and the like were decayed to deteriorate physical strength and at the same time durability was lost.
In addition, the prior art system had some problems in disaster prevention that the external connecting bolts or fittings were melted during fire, their strength could not be expected and a housing might be fallen. In addition, the maximum disadvantage of the framework structure using wooden members was brittleness at the connection part, various kinds of joints or couplers were devised in the past by the carpenters and the like in order to keep a physical strength. However, all these structures had some problems that they were complex, their machining required a large amount of steps and they showed a poor productivity. In addition, the prior art had some problems that the wood with large size was poor in its production volume, its availability was difficult and a long and large span beam arch or truss made of wood or laminated wood and the like could not be transported under the traffic regulation and the like.
In view of the foregoing, the present inventor earnestly studied the aforesaid problems of the prior art and completed the connector in which the complex joint or coupler structure of the prior art is of quite simple structure, its structural strength is improved by using it together with adhesive agent, a connecting workability for the joint or the coupler is remarkably increased, working period can be remarkably shortened; a method for connecting structural members in which the joint, coupler or connection machining engineering is simplified by using the connector, the number of working steps is remarkably reduced and its productivity is superior; and a connecting structure between the structural members in which a high structural strength can be attained and a high disaster-proof characteristic is also obtained, and finally filed the Patent Application Nos. Hei 4-164402, Hei 5-112261, Hei 5-117908, Hei 5-139937, Hei 5-294289 and Hei 5-294748.
However, it was found that although the aforesaid inventions have remarkably improved workability, working characteristic and productivity as compared with those of the prior art fittings or working methods and they are remarkably superior in view of effect of anti-disaster or increasing of withstand force, it had the following problems in view of anti-disaster characteristic.
That is, it was found that if bending, tension, compression and shearing and the like act on the structural members such as wooden members, the adhesive agent integrally formed with the connector resists against bending, tension, compression and shearing and the like up to a limit in which the wood is broken, thereafter the adhesive agent and the timber fiber are cut to produce a primary breakage, resulting in that their connecting power is lost and the breakage advances. In particular, it was found that the prior art system had a problem in which the connection part between the structural members in the region having frequent occurrence of earthquake, the portions with weak withstand force are broken in sequence, accumulated and then a housing is damaged abruptly by earthquake and the like.
In addition, the inventor completed in the patent application (Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 5-112261) filed previously the connector in which an end part of the flowing-out pipe for the adhesive agent is formed with a projection. In this case, it was possible to prevent the connector from being fallen or from being rotated by this projection when the connector is inserted, resulting in that its workability could be remarkably increased. When the adhesive agent was fed under pressurized condition in order to perform a smooth returning-back of the adhesive agent, it was found that there was a problem that a certain number of connectors were pushed out in response to a size or a shape of the connector, and when an adhesive agent gun was pulled out, a certain number of connectors were pulled out together with the gun if the diameter of the connection hole was large and then a workability was reduced a little.
In addition, furniture such as closets or chairs, doors or various fittings, playing elements such as jungle gyms or sliders and wooden curved dolls and other fittings having thick-wall portions had some problems that their connecting strength was weak and they lacked in durability due to the fact that each of the members was merely adhered with adhesive agent or merely adhered after a simple process.